Hartford, CT

Travel Guide

Hartford featuring heritage architecture, a city and an administrative buidling
Hartford featuring heritage architecture, a city and an administrative buidling
Hartford which includes a city and cbd
Hartford featuring a garden and heritage elements
Hartford which includes a city

Where to stay in Hartford

Connecticut Science Center featuring a garden

Downtown Hartford

4/5(448 area reviews)

Downtown Hartford boasts a bustling business district, housing major corporations and Connecticut's state government. Explore historic sites like the Wadsworth Atheneum, Bushnell Park, and the Old State House, while enjoying convenient access to Connecticut Transit Hartford and Union Station.

Downtown Hartford
Underneath that blue dome lies the east armory of a factory once owned by a man who changed American history, the innovator of the revolver, Samuel Colt. Sprawling around the crumbling red brickwork of the old Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, once the largest private armory in the world, are the remnants of Coltsville, the utopian village he built for his workers. 

A model of 19th century industrial paternalism, Coltsville included a church, a social hall for dances and lectures, workers’ housing, a giant landscaped park home to deer and peacocks, sculpted botanical gardens, and thousands of feet of greenhouses filled with tropical fruit and flowers. Samuel Colt felt such responsibility for the welfare of his workers outside the factory that he went so far as to build Potsdam Village, to replicate the feel of the German village from which he imported his skilled craftsmen to work in his willow ware factory.

The National Park Service began having on-site presence in 2015, with workshops and tours, including up into the Blue Onion Dome which affords magnificent views of downtown Hartford, the Connecticut River and Colt Park, formerly the back yard of Armsmear, Samuel & Elizabeth Colt’s mansion. By 2016, an NPS ranger had taken up residence in the South Armory and was giving walking tours of Coltsville.

The old South, East and North armories are under renovation and the two 1855 brownstone buildings, the oldest structures on site, will become the National Park Service Visitor Center. The armories themselves have been or are being renovated into apartments, offices and education facilities.

Sheldon-Charter Oak

While visiting Sheldon-Charter Oak, you might make a stop by sights like Connecticut River and Charter Oak Tree Memorial.

Sheldon-Charter Oak
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Barry Square

If you're spending some time in Barry Square, Webster Theater and Assaiante Tennis Center are top sights worth seeing.

Barry Square
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Frog Hollow

While Frog Hollow might not have many sights to explore, venturing just a little farther will lead you to top things to see and do like Connecticut State Capital and Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Frog Hollow
Mark Twain's House, Hartford, CT. Apparently, Hartford was his favorite city!

Asylum Hill

You'll enjoy the museums and churches in Asylum Hill. You might want to make time for a stop at Harriet Beecher Stowe Center or Mark Twain House & Museum.

Asylum Hill
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West End

If you're spending some time in West End, Elizabeth Park and Connecticut Historical Society Museum are top sights worth seeing.

West End
The Capitol Hotel

The Capitol Hotel

3 out of 5
440 Asylum St Hartford CT
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Hartford. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the breakfast and the ...
The Capitol Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton Hartford Downtown

DoubleTree by Hilton Hartford Downtown

4 out of 5
315 Trumbull St Hartford CT
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Hartford. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the clean rooms ...
DoubleTree by Hilton Hartford Downtown
The Goodwin Hotel

The Goodwin Hotel

3.5 out of 5
1 Haynes St Hartford CT
Stay at this hotel in Hartford. Enjoy free WiFi, a 24-hour fitness center, and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms ...
The Goodwin Hotel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Postcard Cabins Machimoodus, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy

Postcard Cabins Machimoodus, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy

2 out of 5
298 E Haddam Moodus Rd East Haddam CT
Stay at this cabin in East Haddam. Enjoy free parking, patios, and climate control. Popular attractions Machimoodus State Park and Amasa Day House are located ...
Postcard Cabins Machimoodus, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy
Luxury Apartments by Hyatus at Pierpont

Luxury Apartments by Hyatus at Pierpont

4 out of 5
9 Tower Ln New Haven CT
Stay at this aparthotel in New Haven. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Knights of Columbus Museum and Shubert Theater ...
Luxury Apartments by Hyatus at Pierpont
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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Cities near Hartford